Fitness influencer apologizes after hitching a bike ride in the Berlin Marathon
asserted
influencer → apologize → Marathon
Chinese influencer Abeeeer was also dropped by her sponsor, Brooks
There's so much to love about marathon season.
asserted
Abeeeer → drop → season
The gripping accounts of elite athletes pushing themselves to the very limit.
asserted
athletes → push → limit
The tales of runners uplifting and supporting each other to cross the finish line.
asserted
runners → uplift → line
The heartache when dreams are dashed.
asserted
dreams → dash → ?
And then there are the people who might think, "Well, maybe no one will notice..." at a global event.
uncertain
one → be → event
In that vein, a Chinese fitness influencer has apologized and been dropped by her sponsor after being photographed hitching a ride on a bike during the 42.2-kilometre Berlin Marathon last week.
asserted
influencer → apologize → Marathon
Images of the influencer from the Sept. 27 race were first posted by the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU) Instagram account, which calls out questionable race performances.
asserted
which → post → performances
In posts from Oct. 1, the account noted that her fastest time was recorded between the 35- and 40-kilometre marks, around the time "she was spotted on the back of a bike."
asserted
she → note → bike
A composite image of three Instagram stories posted Oct. 1 by The Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU) that allege to show a Chinese influencer hitching a ride in the Berlin Marathon, her times, and a finish line photo from the Sept. 27 race.
asserted
that → post → race
CBC News has reached out to OMTIU to ask how it obtained the photo and to the Berlin Marathon for confirmation, but has not yet received a response.
asserted
it → reach → response
The influencer, who goes by Abeeeer on the popular Chinese social media platform Rednote, or Xiaohongshu, posted a "sincere apology" to her 520,000 followers Saturday for violating the rules.
asserted
who → go → rules
She explained that she had been feeling physically unwell during the race but acknowledged that was not an excuse.
asserted
that → explain → race
"My behaviour to take a shortcut was disrespectful to the spirit of the marathon," she wrote in Chinese.
asserted
she → take → Chinese
"I intentionally concealed this fact during my public sharing after the race.
asserted
I → conceal → race
The bib number shown in the images is registered to Yuanyuan Sun of China, who recorded a finishing time of 4:53:46.
asserted
who → show → 4:53:46
Australian athlete apologizes for racing with diarrhea, forfeits the Beijing competition she won
Berlin Marathon winner limped to finish line after rupturing Achilles tendon chasing world mark
Multiple media outlets report that she had previously posted about earning a PB, or personal best, on her social media, but has since deleted her Berlin Marathon posts other than the apology.
asserted
she → apologize → apology
One of her sponsors, Brooks, confirmed with CBC News that it dropped a runner after becoming "aware of the situation involving a Brooks China collaborator and the 2026 Berlin Marathon.
asserted
it → confirm → collaborator
"
"After verifying the facts, Brooks China terminated its relationship with the individual," Brooks told CBC in a statement Tuesday.
"
asserted
Brooks → verify → statement
Brooks believes running should be grounded in integrity, fairness, and respect for competition."
A general view
asserted
running → believe → competition
as runners compete during the 2026 BMW Berlin-Marathon on September 27, 2026 in Berlin, Germany.
asserted
runners → compete → Berlin
Over 56,000 participant from 162 nations took part in the 52nd edition of Berlin Marathon.
asserted
participant → take → Marathon
More than 56,000 runners from 162 countries entered the 2026 Berlin Marathon.
asserted
runners → enter → Marathon
It's known for being the flattest course of the official Abbott World Marathon Majors — and therefore the fastest.
asserted
It → know → Majors
About 50,000 people crossed the finish line.
asserted
people → cross → line
And while it's not known whether anyone else attempted a shortcut this year, marathon cheating is nothing new, and what's know as course-cutting is one of the more common tactics.
asserted
know → know → tactics
Remembering when Rosie Ruiz stole the Boston Marathon from a Canadian
She was set to win the U.S. women's half marathon.
asserted
She → remember → marathon
Then a guide car made a wrong turn
asserted
car → make → turn
One of the more infamous course-cutting examples is Rosie Ruiz, who was the first woman to cross the finish line of the 1980 Boston Marathon.
asserted
who → cross → Marathon
She was crowned with a laurel wreath and didn't even seem tired.
asserted
She → crown → wreath
Officials later determined that she had emerged from the crowd near the end of the race and run only about the final mile.
asserted
she → determine → race
She had qualified for Boston after taking the subway for most of the 1979 New York City marathon.
asserted
She → qualify → marathon
In 2011, Rob Sloan placed third in the U.K.'s gruelling Kielder Marathon.
asserted
Sloan → place → Marathon
It was later revealed that he had ridden a bus for part of the course.
asserted
he → reveal → course
In 2023, Scottish ultramarathoner Joasia Zakrzewski finished third in a 50-mile race but was later disqualified for riding part of the course in a car.
asserted
Zakrzewski → finish → car
The same year, the Mexico City Marathon disqualified some 11,000 runners for cutting sections of the course, including by using cars, bikes and public transit.
asserted
Marathon → disqualify → cars
The Aporia
